I really liked this book. I had never reviewed anything by Richard Sones but a Brush with the Beast is a great read. Writing this review took me at least an additional week because I could not get a handle on how to explain the style and evolution of the story. I like how the book is produced; the white pages give the book a nice look and feel.

When I started reading it, I was unsure if I was going to like it, I felt like the writing was a bit bland, almost cut and dry. For example, the only reason you know this is taking part after the rapture of the church is one small sentence. Then a bit further in there is a major attack on the US oil supply and there is not a lot of details about the aftermath or total chaos this would inflict on us, and then I finally understood the cadence of Richard’s writing style and realized that the character development and interactions was his major focus.

The three main characters in this book are masterfully developed. There is Nick Gooseberry, a very wealth and successful business owner who will literally sell his soul to the devil to get relief from excruciating back pain. Then you have Fayeed Mujammed a radicalized Muslim extremist, as known as Fanak (the fox) a nickname given to him for his prowess against the Americans. Last there is Sarah Johnson; she is a down and out drug addict that has been busted for selling drugs (a true set up of a crime). While incarcerated she becomes a born again Christian, and is pregnant.

The characters in this book get woven together with a very intricate plot line that is so well laid out that by the time you get 3/4 of the way through you don’t want the story to end and you realize that it won’t, this is just the first book in a series. If this first book is any indication then the remaining series is really going to be good. There is a strong Christian message of salvation and redemption.

I have heard Matt Hagee preach and sing but I had never read anything that he may have written, so as a fan I was really looking forward to reading Your Guide to the Apocalypse. This book does not go into topics such as, who is the antichrist or what to expect during tribulation, what it does go into is how we know that we are absolutely in the end times and Christ’s return is imminent.

Pastor Matt shows us this with three historical and prophetic eras in the bible. The first is the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Pastor, walks you through so you can see how we are in fact both prophetical and historically in the last kingdom. If this was the only prophecy ever written about the timing of the end, it would be all you needed to know we are here but there is more.

Then he walks you through parts of Matthew 24 and the signs that Christ had given to us and how each and every one of them has been fulfilled to the exact description that Christ gave. You can see how Israel’s rebirth has triggered the apocalyptic count down and how everything described by Christ is happening in our society today.

One new thing that I did learn and found fascinating was the Arch of Titus, which depicts the robbing and pillaging done during the 66 to 70 AD campaign against Israel and the stealing of the artifacts from the temple. The third topic that Pastor Matt discusses is the seven churches described by John in Revelation.

I thought it was very interesting how at the time of John’s writing these churches were being spoken to directly and then how each of the churches describes the different eras that the church would enter. There is no mistaking that we are currently in the time of Laodicea. You look around, here in America many of our churches don’t even adhere to sound doctrine, let alone get people fired up about Christ.

I think this is a great read, no matter where you are on your walk with Christ, you will learn something. It is also a great tool so you can show others real, solid proof that we are exactly at the threshold of Christ’s return for His Church.

I received this book from my honest review WaterBrook, the publisher.

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Has God ever put a calling in your heart? He did for Meadow Merrill, He put a desire in her heart to help African orphans and in Redeeming Ruth, you will see the lengths she and her family will go to make this a reality.
Meadow and her husband Dana are a typical American family. They have two boys, Judah and Gabriel and one on the way, a baby girl they will name Lydia. They had put their desire of helping out African children on the back burner for a time, with Meadow even telling God that if He wants them to help, He will need to bring the child to them.

Wouldn’t you know, God would answer that request? One day they learn about a baby girl, Ruth, who is in America to see if she can get treatment for her cerebral palsy. She is from Uganda, she is orphaned and currently staying in a foster care/sponsor family while she gets treatment. Meadow and Dana meet Ruth when their friend Theresa, brings Ruth to church one Sunday.

From there you will go on a journey with the Merrill family as they first begin as foster parents, to becoming adoptive parents. The journey is slow and sometimes very painful but you see how they come together as a family, with even Judah and Gabriel donating their savings towards the adoption fees.

You will also see how faithful God is when you are in His will. He moved people and obstacles to help get Ruth the family she needed. Her medical needs were draining on the family emotionally as well as financially but God always provided and the family stuck together.

The Merrill’s story is one of obedience, dedication and pure heart. I found it completely heartbreaking to know that a simple one dollar test could have prevented the development of cerebral palsy in Ruth. I’m sorry to say the story does not end in a happily ever after, and I shed many tears at thought of the heartbreak this family has had to endure but they seem hopefully and from the book you gather that they have grown as Christians, grown as a family and are better off for their experience of knowing Ruth.

I received this book from, Hendrickson Publishers for my honest review.

The Promise of Dawn is the first book in the new series Under Northern Skies by Lauraine Snelling. It starts back in Norway with Gunlaud Strand Carlson. You may remember her from the Red River of the North series, she was Ingeborg’s cousin. A letter is delivered to the Carlson’s home asking one of Gunlaud’s sons, Rune if he would like the opportunity to come to America and help with a logging endeavor. Einar and Gerd Strand (another of Gunglaud’s cousins) will pay the passage for Rune, his wife and three sons.

The passage to America is especially hard for Rune’s wife, Signe as she is pregnant and her mother was adamantly opposed to them migrating to America. Once they arrive to Blackduck, Minnesota life becomes very rough to the Carlson’s. Gert is very sick and bed ridden and both she and Einar are very hateful, rude and downright ungrateful for anything this family attempts to do for them.

The plot of the story brings these families closer but not really close, I can honestly say that this is my least favorite Lauraine Snelling novel. Usually when Lauraine begins a new series the characters are well developed, you get to really know them and what makes them tick. I did not get that in this series, Einar is just a horrible man and there is no explanation as to why he might be this way and he has zero redemptive qualities.

Rune and Signe take way more verbal abuse than anyone should ever tolerate, even after they have worked off their passage. There is a Christian message, however not as prominent as they usually are in Lauraine’s novels. So for me, I can only give this book three stars and I won’t be looking or anticipating then next book in this series.

The fourth book in Cynthia Ulmer’s, The Cedar Cove Chronicles is a good one! The tile character Trudy is one that you find in the first book for a brief moment, her story begins with a brutal domestic violence ridden marriage to Mark Gideon. Trudy has finally found the courage to escape a loveless violent marriage once the violence escalates and now includes her son.

The story brings you back to Cedar Cove and all of your favorite characters. As Trudy reunites with her family and begins to heal from the emotional and physical wounds inflicted on her she begins to find herself attracted to the first book’s main character, Todd. The feeling is mutual but they both understand that the relationship cannot proceed until Trudy is able to divorce Mark, and he cannot be found.

Once her husband Mark realizes that he has been left, he begins to search for her and as he realizes he has no control over the situation any more, he begins to slip mentally into paranoia and delusions. It’s always “fun” to see a character start to lose connection with reality and in this case, it could not happen to a nicer guy.

Through a series of events, Mark finds himself working with Bob who has recently moved from Cedar Cove after he and Nancy broke up. As they become friends Mark finds out that Trudy is now in Cedar Cove and makes his way there, so he can give her a good beating and collect the money he feels his father-in-law owes him, because he married his daughter.

Violence follows with Mark and he ends up trying to rob her father and this ends with Mark shooting him in the process. Now the race is on to find Mark before he can find Trudy. There are several twists that you won’t see coming and this especially includes the ending (no spoilers here!)

The novel does a great job of furthering the characters and I like the plot line. My only complaint is I thought there was a little too much attention given to Bob and Nancy, several times I wanted to reach in and shake Bob, I also felt Mark’s mental disintegration could have been a few pages shorter.

This book was given to me by the author Cynthia Ulmer for my honest review.

I have read several books about D.L. Moody but I had never actually read anything that he and preached or written. I really enjoyed, A Life for Christ, it is a really simple book about what a Christian living a Jesus filled life should look like. It’s not preachy or condescending it just shows you how you can make a difference for the kingdom of God, how you can impact lives around you.

When you read his words you see a true love for God and for the lost who need salvation. He shows you how a simple kindness done with the love of Christ as your motivation can change the eternal destiny of not just the person you touched but by those they will go on to meet. All you need to do is what you can do; you don’t need to fill stadiums to make a difference.

I also found it interesting that many during this time period didn’t feel the need to make sure their children were saved, that they would somehow choose to come to Christ when they were grown. What a terrible waste. When you read this book you come away feeling as though even the simplest things you do, when done with the backing of love, can make all the difference in someone’s life.

Hope Flanagan has seen complete horrors that no one should ever witness. In this novel by Tracie Peterson, Beloved Hope, you see the continuation of her new series, Heart of the Frontier. In this book the focus is on Hope and the horrific ordeal she went through in the first novel. It begins by letting you know that those responsible for the rapes and murders have been arrested and are now standing trial for their crimes.

Hope is terrified that she will need to testify against Tomahas because she has worked very hard to bury those memories by raising her sheep and developing a cliental for her hand spun yarn and now all those memories are resurfacing. Lieutenant Lance Kenner is ready to leave his military service and begin a new life back in Louisiana, however before his service is up, he is ordered to take care of the Indian prisoners during the trial to make sure that they are treated humanely.

During the trial Hope decides to take justice into her own hands and this is where she and Lance meet, in the jail cell with Hope pointing a gun at Tomahas. The story then starts with their friendship and grows into love. Tracie does a good job of growing the characters from the first novel. She also expertly handles the tension between the Indians and the new settlers very well and covers this difficult time in American history fairly.

I like the book, though there are some rough subject matters but they are covered in a very proper way with no over the top violence needed. There is a strong message of restoring faith and reconnecting to God.